Railway grade crossing



D. c. MULVIHILL RAILWAY'GRADE CROSSING Filed March 27, 1925 2 B-Shnt l 7 jaw z'eZ C/{aZa O'Z'L'ZZ Aug. 4, 1925. 1,548,057

D. C. MULVIHILL RAILWAY GRADE CROSSING Filed March 27, 1925 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 7/ 40 39 j nwenafi:

' Patented Aug. 4, 1925.

UNITED STATES DANIEL C. HULVIBiI-L, OF HANNIIBAL, MISSOURI.

Emmy emu cnossmo.

Application filed larch 27, 1925. Serial No. 18,678.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL C. MULVIHILL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Hannibal, county of Marion,and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway. Grade Crossings, of which the followin is a speci- .fication and which are illustrate in the accompa-nying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to crossin of hi hways with railways at grade leve and as for its principal objects to provide a crossing structure that can be easily applied to the railway; that; will readil accommodate itself to the conditions of bot hi hway and railway service, and that can readily applied and removed without injury to either the crossing or the railway.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the disclosure proceeds and the description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention, and in which-- Fig. 1 is a partial plan view of a railway crossing embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of such a crossing; i I

Figs. 3 and at are partial longitudinal sections taken on the lines 3-3 and 44 of In. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a spacer used between the track rails and the guard rails;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a plate element used to'form a. roadway between the rails;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a wooden block that may be substituted for the plate elements, when desired;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a special plate for use at'switch crossings or double track crossings;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective vview showing a crossing with such a plate in use.

' In the drawings 10 indicates cross ties to which the track rails 11 are secured in the usual manner. Guard rails 12 are-laid on the ties between the track rails and secured in proper spaced relation to accommodate the flan s of the car wheels. Spacer and filler bloc 13 are preferably used betweenv the track rails and guard rails- These are conveniently made of metal and substantial! U-shaped in cross section. The sides 14 an the corners 15 of these blocks are preferably shaped to conform closely to the web and underside of the head of the rails. The intermediate portion of the blocks is curved downwardly to provide ample room for the wheel flanges. The presence of the blocks between the guard and track rails renders that space self-cleaning.

An intermediate rail 16 is secured to the ties between the ard' rails. Both the guard and interme iate rails may be made of old track rails and are preferably of lighter section than the track rails, so that their heads may be at a slightly lower level than the heads of the track rails, thereby affording better clearance.

Between each guard rail and the intermediate rail are sets of lates 17, each of which comprises a flat body portion 18 (Fig. 6) having stiffening side flanges l9 and stepped end flanges 20, conforming..- sely to the shape of the web and head oi e guard and intermediate rails. The stiffening flanges '19 are preferably cut away at 21 and 22.

The cutting at 21 afi'ords clearance for the heads of the spikesthat secure the rails to the ties, and the cutting at 22 effects a considerable saving of metal.

W'ith plates suchas described the guard and intermediate rails may be laid on the i y ties and the plates inserted sidewise into position. Due to the shape of the end flanges the plates will be interlocked with the rails against movement either up or down, and

one bolt 34 through the rails and the end plates of each set will be suflicient to hold the plates in place.

When the highway is made of concrete, or other masonry, it may terminate at the end of the ties l0 and be provided with a rail 32 similar to the guard and intermediate rails embedded in the concrete, as shown in Fig. 2. With such an arrangement, plates 23, similarto the plates 17 may be inserted between the track rails, and the rails 32, and heldiu place by the same" bolts 34. By spacing the rails 32 from the track rails a distance equal to that between the guard rails 12 and the intermediate rails 16, the same plates maybe used both inside and outside the track.

The interlocking relation between the plates and the rails permits the entire structure to flex readily as the track yields underlfl ' tage over crossings where the elements are flexure has a tendency to work bolted orspiked to the ties, for the necessary the fastenings loose and the contact between the elements and the ties injures the latter both by direct pressure and by retaining moisture. The flexibility of this crossing eliminates springing and warping so common in the older crossings.

Where a wooden crossing is preferred the plates may be replaced by wooden blocks-50 shaped substantially as shown in Fig. 7 with the ends stepped to correspond with the ends 20'of'the plates -17. These may,

\ for example, be of oakfour and one-quarter inches thick, twelve inches wide and twenty-four inches long. They can be inserted in the same way that the metal plates are and secured in place by bolts passing through the rail adjacent to the outer sides of the end blocks.

- At each end of the crossing there is an inclined guard plate 35, provided with straps 36 spiked or bolted to a tie, as indicated at 37. Similar guard plates may also be located outwardly of the rails 11 as well as between the same. These guards serve to lift anything swinging from a passing train and prevent its catching against the end of the crossing.

When a crossing falls at a switch or at double tracks, the space between the adjacent track'rails may be covered by a set of plates having thesame general form as the plates 18, but made in three pieces 38, 39 and 40, to permit them to be readily fitted between the rails, as the distance between them varies. The plates 38 and 40 may be of standard construction and the plate 39 made of a width corresponding to the articular space to be covered, and secured to the plates 38 and 40 by bolts or rivets L1. The application of this structure is illustrated in Fig. 9.

I claim as my inventionz 1. In a grade crossing, a track including gasses"? cross ties with track rails and guard rails secured thereto, an intermediate rail between the ard rails, a set of plates between each guar rail and the intermediate rail, each plate comprising a fiat body ortion having-stiffening flanges at its si es and stepped supporting flanges at its ends resting on the base flanges ofthe guard and intermediate rails, and means to secure the end plates of each set to the track.

2. In a grade crossing, a series of cross ties, a pair of side rails, an intermediate rail, a set of plates between each side rail and the intermediate rail, each comprising a flat body portion having stiflening flanges at its sides and stepped flan es at its ends resting on the base flanges o' the side and intermediate rails, inclined guard plates at the ends of the crossing and straps secured to the cross ties and supporting the guard plates.

3. In a grade crossing, a track including cross ties with track rails and guard rails secured thereto, an intermediate rail between the guard rails, a set of plates between each guard rail and the intermediate rail, a pair of rails outside the track rails and spaced therefrom, a-set of plates between each track railand the corresponding outside rail, each said plate comprising a 'fiat bodyportion having stiffening flanges at its sides and stepped supportin flanges at its ends resting on the base flanges of the rails and means to secure the end plates of each set to the track.

4. In a grade'crossing, a series of cross ties, track rails, guard rails, an intermediate rail, a set of plates between each guard rail and the intermediate rail, each plate comprising a. fiat body portion having stiffening a-nges at its sides and stepped supporting flanges at its ends resting on the base flanges of the guard and intermediate rails whereby the plates may be inserted between the rails and slid to position,'and,1neans for securing the end plates of each set to the rails.

5. In a grade crossing, a track including cross ties, a track rail secured thereto, a highway including masonry with a rail em edded therein at each side of the track rail, a set of plates between each track rail and the corresponding rail embedded in the masonry, and means to secure the end plates of each set to the track.

In testimony whereof I aflix m si ature.

- DANIEL C. MUL lli ll LL. 

